Jo Murphy has been a leading communication skills specialist for medical professionals for over 15 years, having helped train over 1000 NHS doctors and medical trainers in interpersonal skills to help support vital communication with colleagues and patients, ensuring they can manage and react correctly to any difficult medical scenario.
Since the pandemic, many consultations have been managed remotely via Zoom rather than face-to-face which can completely change the dynamic of these interactions. In the UK we currently have some of the shortest GP consultation times in the world at only 10 minutes and if these are taking place on Zoom it is essential that both doctors and patients can interact effectively to get the most out of these short calls. The new GP trainee exam – the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) – will be in real-time with role-players, but all 12 consultations will take place online or on the telephone.
Jo has trained hundreds of doctors on how to interact effectively over Zoom and below she has shared her key tips to help doctors and patients get the most out of video calls:
Pick your location carefully. Try and have your Zoom call somewhere quiet and with a simple background that isn’t going to distract other people on the call. You want the focus to be on you, not your surroundings. Avoid virtual backgrounds if possible as these move and can be very distracting.
Check your lighting. If you have time check your lighting. Look at how it affects the angles of your face. If it’s the evening, it’s especially important to check lighting levels – trying to communicate looming from the gloom won’t come over well.
Consider your position on camera. You need to make sure that you’re not looking down at the person you’re Zooming as this may come across as condescending. Also, check your proximity to the screen – avoid looming in like a goldfish or taking up the whole screen, and you need to avoid leaning away too.
Gesture. Try to have your hands on show if possible as gesturing is an important part of communication. If the screen cuts off your hands, mid-arm, you then multiply the sense of your absence and this can also undermine a sense of your commitment.
Facial Expressions. Open out your face, your orbital area (eyes, brow and eyebrows!) and smile, but not constantly as this can give the wrong impression. You can look a little more serious when you’re listening, but you should be nodding in affirmation when you’re about to respond to key questions.
Eye Contact. In terms of eye contact, it’s fine to look away occasionally and make the odd written note but generally, you should look at the person speaking. Doctors especially should make sure they are engaged and looking at the patient when they speak so that patients really feel like they are being listened to.
Make a list. This is especially important for patients. It’s so important to cover everything you need to flag up on your call. Especially any key concerns, new symptoms or anything else that you need to convey to the doctor. Having this written down will help ensure you don’t miss anything on the call but you should be aware that the longer the list, the less the doctor will be able to cover in the allotted time.
Signing Off. Make sure before you sign off you have covered everything and you have both confirmed any next steps, if required.
To help bridge the huge NHS interpersonal skills gap Jo has moved her course online – Doctors Interpersonal Skills 360 – to enable more trainee doctors both in the UK and internationally to benefit from her vast experience through 12 easy-to-follow modules.
Jo Murphy’s communication course has already gained accreditation by the Royal College of General Practitioners in the UK and is available now for any medical professional who wants to advance their interpersonal skills with patients and colleagues.
To find out more about the course visit - Doctors Interpersonal Skills 360
